LANSING, Mich (WLNS) – The Republican field for governor is getting larger and the latest entrant is confident he can win.

This voice of confidence comes from Sen. Patrick Colbeck.

So what are his chances of being the next governor? He says “very good. It’s lining up exceptionally well for us.”

Of course all of the candidates or would be candidates for governor believe they can win but Sen. Patrick Colbeck thinks he is different.

The Canton conservative senator chaired the Ted Cruz Michigan campaign and has now hired the Cruz consultant firm to run his own bid for governor.

Sen. Colbeck is not a “go along to get along” Republican senator. He often bucks the senate leadership.

The Cruz advisors have told him this race is “yours to lose” and the pathway to victory includes tapping into the 800,000 plus Michigan voters who supported Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

The senate believes tapping into those grassroots will produce a win.

The senator explains “when it comes to the grassroots, I’m probably the best known because people see me take principled stances.”

Senator Colbeck thinks attorney general Bill Schuette’s support is very thin, plus Mr. Schuette is seen as a career politician and so is Lt. governor Brian Calley.

Mr. Colbeck, a veteran of seven years in the Senate, says he is an outsider with insider knowledge.

“The voters are taking a look and they’re saying were not buying it,” said the senator. “It’s politics as usual and you know me, I’m anything but politics as usual.”

Mr. Colbeck concedes he does not have the name recognition of the other two, but with so many voters undecided, he remains confident. “62 percent of the voters in the Michigan Republican primary voters were undecided.”

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